DIY Face Mask - Cinnamon, Honey, Lemon

A simple three-ingredient face mask made out of ingredients you can find in you kitchen can help clear acne, slow down aging and brighten the skin.
--


Every once in a while I enjoy pampering myself. But since LadyBug has joined our family, I'm happy if I can catch a solo trip to the bathroom! That doesn't stop me from making a three-ingredient face mask out of kitchen staples.

After I had LadyBug I got some gnarly acne on my face and back. Now that I am four months postpartum, I'm still dealing with the acne and I blame the huge swing of hormones that happen during and after pregnancy.

Click to tweet: Clear acne with this simple 3-ingredient face mask made out of items found in the kitchen.

There's tons of products on the market specific for those with acne but they usually contains loads of ingredients. I'm still unsure what I can use topically that is safe while nursing. So I stick to my trusty cinnamon, honey and lemon face mask because it always does the trip to heal and soothe my skin. 

Here are how the ingredients work:

Cinnamon - can help rid skin of acne, temporarily fills in fine lines and is a gentle exfoliant

Lemon - can help even out hyper-pigmentation by brightening skin, antibacterial properties (no more blackheads), can help decrease or eliminate oily skin and is a good cleanser

Honey - naturally antibacterial (no more acne), can slow down aging with antioxidants, unclogs pores and moisturizes skin

How To Use: Mix roughly 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, quarter juiced lemon, and 1 teaspoon honey. Apply the mixture to a clean face with a cotton ball. Allow to sit on the face for at least 5 minutes.
(You may feel a tingly or burning sensation. Both of those are a result of the lemon juice and cinnamon.) Use warm water to gently massage face then rinse clean.

Have you ever made your own face masks?
How do you deal with acne?

PIN for later. 

Three-Ingredient Citrus Brightening Body Scrub

Now that the winter blues are gone, don't be ashamed to bare your skin with the aid of a super simple three-ingredient citrus brightening scrub and JERGENS® Natural Glow®. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyJergensGlow #CollectiveBias

--

In Maryland, we had a taste of spring, some might even say summer, a few weeks ago. It was 80 degrees and humid, but oh so welcome after the record breaking winter we had. I pulled out some shorts and t-shirts from the very bottom of my dresser and went out for several runs.

It didn't occur to me until mid-way through a run that my shoe was untied. I bent down to tie my shoe and was startled by my shockingly pale legs. Those bad boys haven't see daylight in MONTHS! That's when I realized I desperately needed a gradual sunless tanning lotion. Feeling good in your own skin is a great tip to feel confident running outside. 

I made my way to Walmart and stood in the beauty aisle staring at this selection of JERGENS® Natural Glow® products. I saw the sticker on the packaging to save $3.00 on any 2 full size Jergens® Natural Glow® products (Offer excludes trial and travel sizes). That's when I knew that I wanted to get the JERGENS® Natural Glow® 3 Days to Glow™ Moisturizer to give my skin a boost in color then follow up with the Natural Glow® Daily Moisturizer. 

Before I used the gradual glow moisturizers, I needed to exfoliate my very dry skin. Not only had my skin not seen sun in several months, the cold moisture-less winter dried my skin out. I could have just picked up any body scrub while I was at Walmart but I really like making my own because I always have all the ingredients I need in my kitchen. You could literally eat this body scrub.

Click to tweet: Three-Ingredient Citrus Brightening Body Scrub so good you could eat.

I use a 2 to 1 ratio for my body scrubs - 2 parts white granulated sugar to 1 part coconut oil. That is the base of any good body scrub then you can add any fragrances or add-ins that you'd like. 

One reason why I prefer a sugar scrub over a salt scrub is because I shave. And have you ever had salt in a wound? Yeah, that doesn't feel good. So the sugar is more gentle and won't irritate those freshly shaved legs. 

For this particular batch, I wanted to incorporate lemon. I added half the juice of a lemon and lemon zest to bring life to my body scrub. Not only that, but lemon has brightening properties that are wonderful for your skin. If you are looking for a more fragrant scrub, you can add in some additional lemon essential oil. 

Three-Ingredient Citrus Brightening Body Scrub

Ingredients

• 2 parts White Granulated Sugar
• 1 part Coconut Oil
• Zest of One Lemon
• 1/2 Juiced Lemon

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in shower safe container.

Now here are some tips I have for you when working with gradual glow moisturizers:

Exfoliate. Exfoliate prior to your first use and at least once a week. You can make my Three-Ingredient Citrus Brightening Body Scrub and store in a container to keep in the shower. I might also suggest exfoliating more often if you are active. Your sweat and fitness gear can wear the gradual glow off your skin quicker in certain areas. By exfoliating, you can create a smooth, blended surface. 

*Please note that I store my scrub in a glass container. Glass can be dangerous and harmful in the shower if dropped. Also, the coconut oil can create a slick surface on the bottom of the shower. Use with caution.

Moisturize. Keep your elbows, knees, hands, and any other extra dry area well moisturize prior to applying your gradual glow moisturizer. The regular lotion will act as a barrier to stop you skin from absorbing too much gradual glow moisturizer.

Wash your hands. After applying your gradual glow moisturizer, wash and dry your hands. This will also help stop too much absorption of the gradual glow moisturizer onto your hands.

Choose the right shade. Sure you are trying to build a natural glow, but don't jump up to the darkest shade. Start with your natural skin tone and work from there.

Who is ready to create their own sunshine and naturally glow?! Bare that skin and enjoy the outdoors.

Click to tweet: Bare that skin and enjoy the outdoors with this brightening body scrub.

Have you ever used any JERGENS® Natural Glow® products?
Do you prefer sugar or salt scrubs?
Don't forget the ingredients for this scrub and Pin it for later. 

#TBT Winter In The Midwest

Thank you to Vaseline for allowing me to take a trip down memory lane. #Vaseline #TBT
--

Growing up in the Midwest during the wintertime is absolutely beautiful. The trees are dusted with fluffy white snow, the sun reflects off the shiny snow covered ground and there is a briskness in the air.

There were two things that I looked forward to every winter: warming up in the hot tub then making snow angels in my bathing suit, and ice skating on our backyard ice rink that my Dad would put together (ice skating did not take place in a bathing suit). Please take me back to my childhood! Although my excitement for a good hot tub or fun skating around an ice rink is still there, being out in the dry, crisp air wreaks havoc on my skin. Say hello to cracked and chapped hands! Also, let's not talk about shaving during the winter months because that is just painful (if you are looking for a hair removal system, I have a post that discusses all things Flash&Go).

Let's chat about how to keep our skin soft and moisturized during winter for a moment. Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion deeply moisturizes to heal dry skin. In fact, I have been using this for years because it is fragrance free. There is nothing more irratating for your dry skin than using a lotion that has fragrances.

And, if you suffer from extremely dry skin in the winter, Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion is clinically proven to heal very dry skin in 5 days. Chalk that up for two wins! But the best is it retails for $4.99 at most food, drug and mass retail stores. 

Click to tweet: Heal your very dry skin in 5 days.

Now that we have our skin moisturized, we need to stay warm during those blistering cold days. Growing up, I used to love those mittens on a string. You know, the ones that if you took your gloves off you didn't have to fear losing them deep in the snow. Another hand warmer I loved when I was little, which I couldn't think of what they were called, was a little fluffy white faux fur muff. I do not suggest googling that term - fluffy muff will take you in a totally different direction. I may have just spit my coffee all over my keyboard when I saw the search results. 

However, I wish my parents were cool and bought me some Freezy Freakies. Did you have these growning up? I had no idea that they changed colors when they got cold. Like when the mountains turn blue on my Coors Light bottle. 

Click to tweet: Freezy Freakies are taking me back to my childhood.

But seriously, the little white trees turn blue when they are exposed to cold temperatures!

Between the Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion and the Freezy Freakies, I am all set for winter. Bring on the snow because I haven't seen any yet!

Click to tweet: How you too can have soft skin this winter.

How do you stay moisturized in the winter?
Did own a pair of Freezy Freakies when you were growing up?
Have you tried Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Lotion?
What's your favorite wintertime memory as a child?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Vaseline. The opinions and text are all mine.

How To Survive Winter Hibernation With Ease

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiftSilkn #CollectiveBias
--

Who is ready to hibernate this winter? I know my body is trying to get ready for the cooler months with cravings for sweets and carbs. The days are getting shorter and I would much prefer to stay in my loungewear all day long and sip some warm tea or hot cocoa. 

There is one thing in particular that I avoid like the plague during winter months. That is SHAVING. If I even change out of my loungewear it will be into pants or leggings, so what is the point of shaving my legs?! But bring on that last minute winter vacation to somewhere tropical and warm and I am regretting all those days I went without shaving. Hello, wooly mammoth!

I am here to help you get through winter hibernation with ease by sharing my tips for taking care of your skin during the cooler, dryer months. Plus, a fabulous gift for yourself or a friend that can be paired with the homemade lip scrub below. 

Click to tweet: How to survive winter hibernation with ease.

Step One: Drink plenty of water. I suffer with dry, itchy skin, especially in the winter. The moisture from the air is gone, so replace that moisture by hydrating yourself. There are plenty of ways to increase your water consumption. I like to drink warm water with lemon during the cooler months because it helps warm your body from within. Another way to incorporate more water is to infuse it. I have talked about the many different combinations for infusing water. 

Step Two: Take the hassle out of shaving. You can now say goodbye to unwanted body hair by using the Flash&Go hair removal system. Found at both Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl's, the Flash&Go hair removal system uses Home Pulsed Light (HPL) Technology to safely and easily provide you wonderfully hair-free skin - think long term hair removal!

I started using my Flash&Go system after picking it up from Kohl's (near the cosmetics). I really wanted to remove the hair from my legs because that is the largest portion of my body that I shave and it takes a long time in the shower to get them perfectly smooth. I followed all of the directions and have used the Flash&Go system every other week (this should be done for the first four sessions). Can I just tell you how excited I am to already notice results?! I am ready for my tropical vacation - who is with me?

Because it is the holiday season, I think the Flash&Go system would make a great gift for a friend, or you can even treat yourself to one! You can purchase this safe and effective hair removal system from Bed Bath & Beyond or Kohl's in person or online. AND, as a promotional offer, you can go to keepongifting.com and upload your receipt from your purchase of the Flash&Go and receive a $25 gift card to either Bed Bath & Beyond or Kohl's and enter to win a trip for two to Aruba. Oh, I failed to mention that you can do this 3 times! That's $75 in gift cards!! That's a very happy holiday. 

Step Three: Exfoliate your lips. There are tons of exfoliators you can purchase at the store to use both for your body or your lips. Why spend all that money when you probably have the two ingredients you need right at home for a perfect homemade lip scrub - coconut oil and brown sugar. You can make a larger batch of this and package it up really nice to use as a stocking stuffer or gift to a friend. Or, you can use just a pinch of each and rub it directly on your lips. Gently wipe away any excess with a towel or tissue and apply your favorite lip balm.

Click to tweet: Two ingredient lip scrub.

Step Four: De-static you hair. Nothing is more frustrating than to put on your sweater for the day and poof, your hair starts to stand on end. Static drives me nuts during the winter but by using a hair brush and dryer sheet, you can smooth and tame your hair in no time. You can either rub the dryer sheet all over your hair or push the dryer sheet onto your hair brush and brush away.

And there you have it, four simple steps to survive winter hibernation. Just as a bonus tip, try taking cooler showers. I know the air is chilly and super hot showers feel amazing, but the hotter showers dry your skin out quicker. So do yourself a favor and lower the temperature. 

Click to tweet: These 4 tips will help me survive winter!

Do you know someone that would love to receive a Flash&Go system?
How do you survive winter hibernation?
Have you ever exfoliated your lips?

*The Flash&Go system works best for those with lighter skin and darker pigmented hair. If you are unsure if this product is right for you or a friend, more information can be found about the product here. 

What to Look Forward to in your Late 20's

Aging. It sucks. During my young college days I was so care free. Student loan for housing, student loan for books, student loan for class, student loan for food. The only thing I had to worry about was making it to class on time. And if I was lucky, my work assignments were done on time. Then I graduated.

Things got real. I needed to look for a big girl job but instead, I went back to school for Massage Therapy. I had a window of 16-ish months between graduating with my Bachelors and getting married and moving from Michigan to California. To me, it wasn't worth the time of looking for a job and wanted a career plan to fall back on.

Now I am in my late 20's gasp. I am married, work full time, do not have kids, my metabolism is slowing down, and wrinkles are starting to form. If you are younger than me, here is what you have to look forward to when you reach your late 20's.

If you are not married, people will question you. And if you are not in any type of relationship people will look at you like you have spinach in your teeth or a bat in the cave. If you don't know that reference, I am sorry. Lucky for me, I got married in my early 20's and wouldn't change a thing!

Your metabolism slows down. I mean like instantly! I spent just over a week on vacation binging on beer and gained nearly 10 pounds. WHAT the what! Plus, exercise is not enough to whip that bootay back into shape. You actually have to eat healthy.

If you are married, people will ask when you are having babies. Why do family members feel the need to ask this question? Do they really want to know everything about our sex lives? Yes, we have sex. No, we are not trying for a baby, yet!

You have to take life seriously. Like get a job, be conscious about saving money for your retirement, consider investments, and all that boring stuff. It's headache inducing thoughts of the future that make us drink until we gain those 10 pounds. See above.

Wrinkles. Oh the wrinkles. This is the true test of how you lived in your early 20's. Take care of your skin - face, neck, and hands. Those areas are the first to show age and I want to look like I am 23-24 again. Forever!

I may not have a solution for the above scenarios, but I can help with the wrinkle department. I have tested many creams, lotions, serums, and ointments. Honestly, it is hard to tell if they are making a difference because I don't have any deep wrinkles. But I am definitely hoping that these potions help me in the coming years.

For example: This serum from AzureNaturals was sent to me to review. I tried the serum on my face and almost instantly broke out in cystic acne. Not cool. So I have been using this on my neck and back of my hands nightly.

The Retinol serum is like most serums I have tried - smooth, not sticky, and absorbs quickly. I will continue to use this bad boy to fight off those wrinkles. I am all about that preventative care.

Do you have anything else to add to my list? What types of products do you use to prevent wrinkles?

Want to try this product yourself? Enter the giveaway here --> Click Me!

*I received the serum from Tomoson for review. All opinions are my own. See disclaimer at bottom of page.*

DIY Blackhead Removing Mask

Hello there! Did you find this page via Pinterest? If so, thanks for stopping by. Please stick around so we can learn more about each other. You might be interested in other DIY projects - click here.
-- 

Today I have DIY mask number 2. Be sure to go check out yesterday's post if you want another face mask.

This mask is a little more elaborate meaning more ingredients but well worth the work.

This baking soda face mask is great for acne prone skin or people with those huge blackheads on the nose. Baking soda on the skin has a lot of benefits but be careful because it can burn the skin.

Baking soda is a mild exfoliator and it also has oil reducing properties.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon table Salt
• 1 teaspoon liquid or gel Face Wash

Mix all of the ingredients together until you have a paste. 

Add more face wash if the paste is too thick.

Apply the mask only to your problem areas. Allow to dry for 15-20 minutes.

Finally, wash off with warm water.

*Be sure not to use this mask more than twice a week. 

Have you tried a face mask like this?

DIY Egg White Face Mask

I love making at home face masks. Especially when the ingredients are so simple.

One of my favorite masks is an egg white mask. 

There are so many benefits to egg whites both nutritionally and for your skin. 

Some of the skin benefits include whitehead removal, oil removal, and skin tightening.

The main reason why I use the egg white face mask is for the tightening effects. 

It gives you the instant tighten while the mask is drying but it also has a slight longer effect.

Go ahead and give it a try.

Ingredients:

• One egg white

Separate the yolk from the egg and whisk up until lightly frothy. 

Apply to the face in an upward motion. Then let dry for 15-20 

minutes and wash off with face wash and warm water.

Have you tried a face mask like this?

Do you make other types of DIY face masks?